The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-11-03
The Largest opium-Den in China.


A writer in the North China Herald
describes the Nan-gin-tsin, the great
est opium den in China. 1t is situated
in the French concession to Shanhai,
within stones throw of the wall OF
the native city, within which no opium
shops are supposed to exist. The
throngs visiting it represent all stations
of life, from the cooley to the wealthy
merchant OF the small mandarin.
1t is with difficulty that one gets inside
through the crowds of people hanging
around the door. Those who have not
the requisite number of copper cash to
procure the baneful pipe watch with
horrible wistfulness each of the
more affiuent pass in with a nervous,
hurried step, or totter out wearing
that peculiar dazed expression which
comes after the smokers craving has
been satisfied and his transient
pleasure has passed away. One re-
quires strong stomach TO stand the
sickening fumes with which the air in
side is thickened. The clouds of smoke,
the dim light from the numerous col
ored lamps, the numbers of reclining
forms with distorted faces bent over
the small flames at which the pipes
are lighted cause the novice a sicken-
| ing sensation.
| But as soon as the eye becomes ac-
customed to the scene it is noticed
that the place is got up on an expen-
sive scale. In the center of the lower
room hangs one of the finest of Chinese
lamps, the ceiling is of richly-carved
wood, while the painted walls are
thickly inlaid with peculiarly marked
marble, which gives the idea OF un-
finished landscape sketches. Numer-
Gus doors on all sides lead to the
smokers apartments. In the outer
portion of the building stands a
counter covered with little boxes of the
drug ready for smoking, which dozen
assistants are kept busy handing out
to the servants who wait upon the
habitues of the place. The average
daily receipts are said to be about
f200 The smoking apartments are
divided into four classes. In the cheap
est are coolies. who pay about four
pence for their smoke In the dear
est the smoke costs about sevenpence.
The drug supplied in each class is
much the same both in. quality and
quantity: it is the difference in the
: pipes that regulates the price. The
: best kinds are made of ivory, the stem
being often inlaid with stones and
rendered more costly by reason OF
elaborate carving; the cheapest kinds
, are made simply of hard wood.
+ The rooms also are furnished ac
4 cording to class. In the most expen
L sive the lounge upon which the smoker
5 reelines is of fine velvet, with pillows O.
3 the same material; the frames of eacl
: couch are inlaid with mother-of-pear
0 and Jade, and the whole air of thes'
rooms is one of sensuous luxury
There Is also o. number of private
rooms. In the poorer section will b.
n seen many wearers of the tattere'
a yellow and gray robes of Buddhist ant
: Tavist priests. Women form a fai
q proportion of the smokers. The com
mon belief is that the opium sleep i
a attended by mild, pleasurable de
lirum, with brief glances of Elysium
:. but this is the exception, not the rule
:, People smoke to satisfy the cravin
1. begotten of previous indulgence
= There is accommodation for Is
=. smokers at time, and there is SCI
- dom vacancy very long. The streal
i of smokers goes on from early morr
- ing till midnight, when the plac
" closes; the clouds of smoke go up in
/ cessantly all day long.